Mass media strike on Tuesday 19 November

The Boards of Directors of POESY, POSPERT, POEPTYM, ETHPTA, and EFE, through their respective decisions, declare a strike for all journalists, technicians, administrative staff and photojournalists across all media (print, radio, television and online) in both the public and private sectors, including ERT, GGE, AMNA, OTA, Press Offices, EDOEAP and websites, from 5 a.m. on Tuesday, November 19, to 5 a.m. on Wednesday, November 20, joining all workers across the country in the 24-hour nationwide strike called by GSEE.

The federations and unions of media and press workers denounce the employer organisations' refusal to even engage in dialogue on the establishment of Collective Labour Agreements in the private sector. This refusal has resulted in poorly paid employees whose wages are insufficient to cover basic family and personal needs, at a time when rising costs have decimated household incomes. Furthermore, no measures have been taken to address the deregulation of labour relations and collective labour law.

Meanwhile, not only media employees but the entire Greek society is experiencing a series of successive and steep increases in essential goods, electricity, heating oil, and more—creating a suffocating situation for salaried workers and a large segment of freelancers, whose incomes and resources are essentially being wiped out, with no measures to address the wave of rising prices.

We voice our protest against the ongoing and escalating pressure on journalism and journalists, and ultimately on reliable and free information, which is a cornerstone of democratic functioning.

We demand:

• Collective Labour Agreements across all private-sector media with immediate and substantial increases in nominal wages and pensions. Notably, the EU directive urges member states to strengthen Collective Labour Agreements to cover 80% of workers.
• Effective measures to address the cost-of-living crisis that is eroding wages and leading workers to destitution.
• Affordable, quality housing for all, as skyrocketing rents make it extremely difficult for workers to live.
• Substantial and effective measures to combat unemployment.
• National and European support measures to protect incomes and jobs in the private sector.
• Unfreezing of the 2016-2017 pay scales for all colleagues working at ERT, AMNA, GGE and press offices in the public sector and broader public sector.
• Restoration of the 13th and 14th salaries for colleagues in public media, as well as the 13th and 14th pensions.
• Reliable and pluralistic information.

The Boards of the Federations and Unions